Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure (HTTPS)

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a variant of the standard web transfer protocol (HTTP) that adds a layer of security on the data in transit through a secure socket layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) protocol connection.

HTTPS enables encrypted communication and secure connection between a remote user and the primary web server.

Techopedia explains Hypertext Transport Protocol Secure (HTTPS)

HTTPS is primarily designed to provide enhanced security layer over the unsecured HTTP protocol for sensitive data and transactions such as billing details, credit card transactions and user login etc. HTTPS encrypts every data packet in transition using SSL or TLS encryption technique to avoid intermediary hackers and attackers to extract the content of the data; even if the connection is compromised.

HTTPS is configured and supported by default in most web browsers and initiates a secure connection automatically if the accessed web servers requests secure connection. HTTPS works in collaboration with certificate authorities that evaluates the security certificate of the accessed website.